Aim:

To analyze the methodological characteristics of the research works presented by the undergraduate medical students, at the medical research congresses of a public university in Mexico.

Subjects and methods:

An observational, transversal and retrospective research was carried out; the information was obtained from the checklists that were used to determine the best research works presented by the students at the end-of-course congresses. In the checklists the indicators had a dichotomous choice (yes/no), depending on whether the aspects to be evaluated in each research work was well worked out. To analyze the data, the percentage of affirmative responses of each item in the checklists was calculated, and averaged for each congress.

Results:

We evaluated the research presented by 432 students at nine congresses. The data show that the logical approach to the research was adequately worked in most of the congresses, while in methodological aspects the students had difficulties to design and adequately execute their research work. The greatest difficulty for the students was in the results’ analysis, as well as in the discussion of the meaning, applicability and scope of their research.

Conclusion:

It is necessary to constantly evaluate the teaching method of the research skills in the medical career, and work more in the tutoring of the students’ activities.

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